JP2007277918A - Internally illuminating sign device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an internally illuminating sign device capable of uniforming brightness of a sign surface having the large area, while restraining the number of light sources. <P>SOLUTION: A semi-light transmissive sign plate 2 is arranged so as to block up an opening of a box body 1. A plurality of LEDs 3 emitting the light irradiated to the sign plate 2 are installed on an installation metal fitting 4, and are installed in the box body 1. A sheathing 5 is arranged between the LEDs 3 and the sign plate 2. A reflection plate 6 is arranged so as to cover an inner surface of the box body 1. Only a part of the sign surface is prevented from becoming bright when the sheathing 5 reflects the light toward the sign plate 2 from the LEDs 3. The reflecting plate 6 uniformly illuminates the sign plate 2, by reflecting the light emitted by the LEDs 3, while diffusing inside the box body 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention irradiates light from a box to a semi-transparent sign board that closes the opening of the box, for example, an internally-illuminated guidance / warning sign, an internally-illuminated regulation / indication sign, and an internally-illuminated signboard. The present invention relates to an internally illuminated marking device.

  In general, internally-illuminated marking devices such as internally-illuminated guidance / warning signs, internally-illuminated regulation / indication signs, and internally-illuminated signboards block the opening of the box with a semi-transparent signboard with marking contents. By irradiating light from the inside of the box to the marking plate, the marking surface is brightened to improve its visibility and legibility.

  Such an internally-illuminated marking device is required to make the brightness of its marking surface uniform as much as possible, thereby making it possible to visually recognize the marking even in the darkest part and to set the appropriate illuminance so that the brightest part is not dazzled. In addition, the power consumption is reduced by eliminating unnecessary bright parts.

In order to make the brightness of the marking surface uniform, a plurality of light sources should be arranged at small intervals on the back side of the marking plate, but in this case, it is necessary to increase the number of light sources as the marking surface becomes larger. Power consumption increases. On the other hand, by using a light guide plate that radiates light introduced from the end face to the front and arranging a light source at the end, the sign plate may be uniformly irradiated with a small number of light sources (for example, Patent Documents). 1).
JP 2004-265813 A

  However, the internally-illuminated marking device using the light guide plate as in Patent Document 1 is expensive, and as the area of the marking surface increases, the brightness of the marking surface tends to be uneven and the illuminance decreases. Therefore, visibility and legibility are likely to deteriorate.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an internally illuminated marking device that can make the brightness of a marking surface having a large area uniform while suppressing the number of light sources.

  In order to achieve the above object, an internally illuminated marking device according to the present invention includes a box having an opening, a semi-transparent marking plate provided so as to close the opening of the box, and a box. It is equipped with a light source that emits light that illuminates the sign board and is provided with a reflective material that reflects the light emitted from the light source while diffusing inside the box, and between the light source and the sign board, A cover plate that reflects at least part of the light traveling toward the marking plate is provided.

  According to the above configuration, the reflecting material reflects and diffuses the light emitted from the light source in the box. Therefore, even if the interval between the light sources is set large, the light is spread over the entire surface of the marking surface to It is possible to prevent the portion from becoming dark, and further, since the cover plate suppresses the amount of light directed directly from the light source to the marking plate, it is possible to prevent only a part of the marking surface from becoming bright. Thereby, the brightness of a marking surface can be made uniform, suppressing the number of light sources.

  Here, the reflecting material may be installed in the box as a reflecting plate, or the reflecting material may be applied to the inner surface of the box, and the inner surface of the box itself is used as the reflecting material by polishing the inner surface of the box. You can also. Further, the cover plate may be either translucent or non-translucent.

  If the light source is a light-emitting diode and this light-emitting diode is installed in a direction parallel to the marking plate, light with high directivity can be obtained while taking advantage of the light-emitting diode that consumes less power and extends its life. Without directing most of the light directly to the sign plate, it can be diffused and reflected by the reflecting material and then directed to the sign plate.

  Thereby, it is possible to prevent only a part of the marking surface from being brightened by the highly directional light emitted from the light emitting diode, and to uniformly brighten the marking surface. Moreover, by diffusing and reflecting the light emitted in the direction parallel to the sign plate, the incident angle of the light with respect to the sign plate is reduced, so that the light can be dispersed and applied to a wide range of the sign plate. The ratio of the light reflected again on the back surface of the marking plate is increased, and the number of reflections repeated until the light passes through the marking plate is increased, so that the marking plate is illuminated more uniformly. Further, by emitting light in a direction parallel to the marking plate, most of the light can be directed to the reflecting material without being blocked by the covering plate, so that the efficiency of illuminating the marking plate can be further increased.

  If a plurality of light sources are attached to a common mounting bracket, and the mounting bracket is detachably mounted on the box, a plurality of light sources can be easily attached and detached, and light source maintenance can be simplified. . In addition, when providing a plurality of mounting members for mounting a plurality of light sources, the light sources mounted on a common mounting bracket are easy to approach each other, and the light sources mounted on different mounting members are easily separated from each other. Although it tends to be uniform, the marking surface can be uniformly brightened by providing the reflector and the cover plate as described above.

  In addition, if the mounting bracket is a linear member, the light source can be installed in an internally-illuminated marking device of any size and shape by adjusting the length, number and interval of the fittings, and the shape is simple. Therefore, it is easier to handle than a complicatedly shaped mounting bracket, and the mounting and dismounting of the mounting bracket can be simplified, such as easy wiring of a light source and installation of a substrate. If a cover plate is provided on the mounting bracket, it is not necessary to provide a cover plate separate from the mounting bracket, and the structure inside the box can be simplified.

  The mounting bracket can be attached to and detached from the box by opening and closing the sign plate, but if the mounting bracket is slidably mounted inside the box and can be inserted and removed from the window formed on the side plate of the box, the light source Can be more easily installed and removed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the reflecting material that reflects the light emitted from the light source while diffusing in the box and the cover plate that suppresses the amount of light directed from the light source directly to the marking plate are provided, the area of the marking surface Even when is large, the brightness of the marking surface can be made uniform while suppressing the number of light sources. Thereby, the power consumption of the internally illuminated marking device can be reduced, and the entire surface of the marking surface can be set to an appropriate brightness to improve the visibility and readability of the marking surface.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the internally illuminated marking device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of an internally illuminated marking device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

  This internal illumination type marking device is used as an internal illumination type guidance / warning sign, an internal illumination type regulation / indication sign, an internal illumination type signboard, etc., and a box 1 having an opening on the front side, and a box 1 A semi-transparent sign board 2 provided so as to close the opening, an LED (light emitting diode) 3 that emits light that is embedded in the box 1 and irradiates the back surface of the sign board 2, and the LED 3 A mounting bracket 4 that is attached to the inside of the housing, a cover plate 5 that reflects a part of the light directed from the LED 3 to the marking plate 2, and a reflection material that reflects the light emitted from the LED 3 while diffusing the light inside the box 1 The plate 6 is provided, and the marking plate 2 is irradiated with light from the inside of the box 1 so that the marking surface is brightened to improve the visibility and legibility.

  The box 1 is made of a metal such as aluminum, synthetic resin, or the like, and a sign plate mounting frame 7 having a substantially L-shaped cross section and forming a rectangle as a whole is fitted into the opening thereof. A flange 8 is provided at the opening peripheral edge of the box 1, and the peripheral portion of the marking plate 2 is held between the flange 8 and the marking plate mounting frame 7.

  The sign board 2 is obtained by pasting, for example, an acrylic board showing display contents or a fiber sheet showing display contents on the surface of a transparent or semi-transparent board, and the light emitted from the LED 3 is on the back side (box 1 By transmitting from the inside to the surface side (outside the box 1), the marking surface becomes bright and the visibility is enhanced.

  The LEDs 3 are oriented in a direction parallel to the marking plate 2, and a plurality of the LEDs 3 are attached to the substrate 3 a at regular intervals, and electricity is supplied from the power source to the LEDs 3 through the substrate 3 a. Further, the plurality of LEDs 3 are attached to the attachment bracket 4 by attaching the plurality of substrates 3 a to which the LEDs 3 are attached to the common attachment bracket 4.

  The mounting bracket 4 is, for example, a mold having an H-shaped cross section as a linear member formed by extrusion molding of aluminum, and is mounted in the box 1 with its flange parallel to the marking plate 2, and in the space between both flanges. The LEDs 3 attached to the substrate 3a are arranged. Of the two flanges of the mounting bracket 4, the flange on the side of the marking plate 2 serves as the cover plate 5, whereby the cover plate 5 is located between the marking plate 2 and the LED 3.

  A plurality of the mounting brackets 4 are arranged in parallel, each being slidably supported by a slide channel 18 housed in the box 1, and being inserted into and removed from a window portion 9 formed in the side plate 1 a of the box 1. It is possible. By inserting the mounting bracket 4 into the box 1 along the slide channel 18, the terminal of the substrate 3 a to which the LED 3 is mounted is connected to the power source, and electricity is supplied to the LED 3.

  The reflecting plate 6 is assumed to have light diffusibility, and is provided so as to cover the inner peripheral surface of the box 1 with an interval. A portion of the reflector 6 that covers the bottom plate 1 b of the box 1 is provided so as to span between adjacent slide channels 18 and closes a gap between the slide channels 18. The light diffusive reflector is generally used as a reflector for internally-illuminated marking devices and lighting fixtures, and has a reflective surface with fine irregularities, or a metal layer as a reflective layer as a diffusing layer. Any material can be employed, such as a laminate of the resin film layers. An example of a resin film layer laminated on a metal layer is Hishi Metal (registered trademark) manufactured by Mitsubishi Plastics.

  Next, how the light emitted from the LED 3 illuminates the sign board 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, most of the light 10 emitted from the LED 3 travels substantially parallel to the marking plate 2 and is reflected while being diffused by hitting a portion of the reflector 6 parallel to the side plate 1 a of the box 1. Is done. In addition, the light 10 emitted from the LED 3 attached to the attachment fitting 4 disposed in the middle of the plurality of attachment fittings 4 strikes the adjacent attachment fitting 4 and is reflected. In addition, although the board | substrate 3a is attached to the attachment metal fitting 4, it has confirmed by experiment that the light absorbed by this board | substrate 3a is very little.

  Further, a part of the light 11 emitted from the LED 3 hits a part of the reflector 6 parallel to the bottom plate 1b of the box 1 and is reflected while being diffused, and the other part of the light 12 is directly labeled. 2, and another part of the light 13 strikes the cover plate 5 and then travels to the reflection plate 6. In FIG. 2, the two-dot chain arrow indicates the path of the light 13 when the cover plate 5 is not present.

  Of the light 14 and 15 diffusely reflected by the reflecting plate 6, a part of the light 14 is directed toward the marking plate 2, and the remaining light 15 is diffusely reflected again toward other portions of the reflecting plate 6. As for the lights 12 and 14 which go to the marking board 2, the one part light 16 permeate | transmits to the surface side, the remaining light 17 is reflected by the back surface side, and goes to the reflecting plate 6 again. This diffuse reflection is repeated to illuminate the entire surface of the sign plate 2 uniformly and efficiently.

  According to the above configuration, the light 10, 11, 12, and 13 emitted from the LED 3 is repeatedly reflected and diffused by the marking plate 2 and the reflecting plate 6 and gradually passes through the marking plate 2. Even if they are arranged at intervals, the marking surface can be illuminated efficiently and uniformly. Thereby, there is no case where a part that is too bright and a part that is too dark are mixed on one labeling surface, so that the entire marking surface can be set to an appropriate illuminance. Further, since the cover plate 5 is provided, the amount of the light 12 directed from the LED 3 directly to the sign plate 2 is suppressed to prevent only a part of the sign plate 2 from becoming bright, and the cover plate 5 reflects the light 13. Thus, the sign plate 2 can be illuminated more efficiently.

  Since a plurality of LEDs 3 are attached to each of the plurality of attachment members 4, by adjusting the number, interval and length of the attachment members 4, and further the attachment interval of the LEDs 3, an internally illuminated signage device of any shape and size can be obtained. Obtainable. Moreover, even if it is a large internal illumination type marking device, the thickness of the light source (LED3) is less likely to appear, and the thickness can be reduced to about 100 mm. Since the thickness can be reduced to about 40 mm, it is possible to reduce the thickness and weight of the internally illuminated marking device, and the mounting thereof is also simple.

  Since the mounting bracket 4 to which the plurality of LEDs 3 are attached is slid out and put in and out of the window portion 9, maintenance of the LEDs 3 is extremely easy, for example, maintenance can be performed with the internally illuminated marking device attached to the support column. In addition, by using the LED 3 as a light source, power consumption can be reduced, dimming is simple and the brightness can be easily adjusted according to the surrounding conditions, and the life of the light source can be extended. As a result, maintenance work can be saved and the influence on traffic during maintenance can be reduced.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, A change can be suitably added within the scope of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, instead of the H-shaped mounting bracket 4, a T-shaped mounting bracket 19 formed by extrusion molding of aluminum may be provided. In this case, a cross-sectional T-shaped acrylic member 20 having the cover plate 5 as a flange is connected to the T-shaped mounting bracket 19, and the mounting bracket 19 and the acrylic member 20 form a cross-sectional H shape. Further, the mounting bracket may have another cross-sectional shape such as an L-shaped cross section. The cover plate 5 may be non-translucent or semi-translucent, and a reflection sheet that irregularly reflects light can be attached.

  In the form shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plate 1b of the box 1 is polished or coated with a reflecting material to form a reflecting plate, and the slide channel 18 is attached to the bottom plate 1b also used as the reflecting plate by spot welding or the like. . In FIG. 3, reference numeral 21 denotes a rivet for connecting the mounting bracket 19 and the acrylic member 20, and the substrate 3 a on which the LEDs 3 are arranged is attached using the rivet 21. Reference numeral 22 denotes a reinforcing rib of the acrylic member 20.

  The mounting brackets 4 and 19 may be attached / detached by opening / closing the entire marking plate 2 or the inspection window provided on the marking plate 2 instead of being slidable and taken out of the window portion 9. Further, the mounting brackets 4 and 19 are not limited to linear members such as a mold material, and may be ones that can be mounted by dispersing the LEDs 3 in a plane. The reflection plate 6 provided separately from the box 1 is not limited to the one arranged in parallel with the inner surface of the box 1, and the direction of the reflected light 14, 15 is adjusted by being appropriately inclined or curved. You can also.

  By forming the box 1 in a cylindrical shape and providing the marking plates 2 on the front side and the back side, a double-sided internally illuminated marking device can be obtained. Moreover, you may make it ensure visibility by a reflective function also at the time of a power failure by sticking the reflective sheet which has a light transmittance to the marking board 2, and comprising a marking surface. Furthermore, other light sources such as a fluorescent lamp can be used instead of the LED 3.

The principal part perspective view of the internally-illuminated marking apparatus which concerns on this invention AA sectional view of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows another form of mounting bracket

Explanation of symbols

1 Box 2 Sign board 3 LED
4, 19 Mounting bracket 5 Cover plate 6 Reflector plate 9 Window

Claims (6)

A box having an opening, a semi-transparent sign plate provided so as to close the opening of the box, and a light source that emits light to be radiated to the sign plate that is built in the box,
A reflective material that reflects and diffuses the light emitted from the light source in the box is provided, and a cover plate that reflects at least part of the light from the light source toward the sign plate is provided between the light source and the sign plate. An internally illuminated signage device characterized by that.   2. The internally illuminated marking device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode and is installed in a direction parallel to the marking plate.   The internally-illuminated marking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of light sources are attached to a common mounting bracket, and the mounting bracket is detachably mounted on the box.   The internally-illuminated marking device according to claim 3, wherein the mounting bracket is a linear member.   The internally illuminated marking device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the cover plate is provided on the mounting bracket.   6. The internally-illuminated marking device according to claim 3, wherein the mounting bracket is slidably mounted on the box and can be inserted and removed from a window formed on a side plate of the box. .

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